The article says a new frontier in hair restoration is attracting strong interest in Hollywood: “hair banking”, in which healthy follicles are removed and frozen now in the hope they can support more advanced regenerative treatments later, including possible follicle cloning. It matters because current options such as minoxidil, finasteride and transplants have limits, especially the restricted supply of donor hair, while doctors and researchers see cell-based approaches as a potential way to restore hair more effectively in future.

The piece explains that a typical banking procedure removes about 50 healthy follicles in a 30-minute process without anaesthetic, after which they are tested and cryogenically stored. It also highlights experimental treatments made from a patient’s banked material, including “secretomes” and exosomes, which aim to repair follicles rather than merely slow hair loss; a 12-session secretome package is quoted at $12,000, with storage for up to two years, while standalone exosome sessions are said to cost roughly $1,500 to $5,000 and multi-session packages $3,000 to $10,000 or more. The article adds that the FDA could potentially approve a new hair-loss pill, VDPHL01, in early 2028, but suggests regenerative medicine may develop further over the next decade.